Local News

The fine art of taking things apart

Firefighters learn advanced extrication technics at convention

By Rachel Alexander

Times Editor

Posted:
06/26/2014 04:00:00 PM MDT

Instructor Jim Bundren, right, talks with the firefighters in his advanced extrication couse about ways to deal with a bus that had fallen on top of a car during a practical class on Saturday, during 2014 Colorado State Fire Fighters Association Convention in Merino. (Rachel Alexander / Fort Morgan Times)

MERINO — When an accident happens on the road and vehicles end up on top of one another, the people in those vehicles are relying on firefighters to find a way to get them out safely.

That was the goal of the advanced extrication training at the 2014 Colorado State Fire Fighters Association Convention last week in Merino.

Under the tutelage of Jim Bundren, a firefighter in St. Lewis, Mo., and a representative for the equipment company Resqtec, six northeastern Colorado firefighters learned what to do when the worst happens on the road.

On Saturday, the group, which included members of the Yuma, Merino and South Adams County fire departments, worked to extricate two cars that were crushed under a bus and an RV.

Zach Wall, of the Yuma Fire Department, works to remove a door from a crushed car on Saturday, after the crew lifted the bus a few inches, during the advanced extrication class as part of the 2014 Colorado State Fire Fighters Association Convention. (Rachel Alexander / Fort Morgan Times)

As the firefighters thought through and worked out different ways to get access to the crushed cars, Bundren sat back and watched, only intervening when they needed his help.

"I like to let them work through it and screw up here," he said. "That way they'll get it right the first time in the real world."

With the bus, the firefighters used struts and air bags to lift it a mere eight inches off the car beneath it — just enough to stabilize the load and provide enough space for the men to cut up the car, removing the doors and roof to gain access to the "patients" inside.

Bundren said he taught the firefighters how to look out for dangers within the car itself while they're cutting into in, including pyrotechnics the seat belt mechanisms and undeployed airbags, both in the dash and along the side in newer cars, which could explode if damaged.

He also talked about how extrication methods and technology has had to keep up with advances in automobile technology. Many of those advances reduce the number of crush injuries drivers and passengers suffer, but also may make it more difficult for firefighters to cut into a crushed car.

Firefighters begin to lift a bus off a crushed car using an airbag during an advanced extrication class as part of the 2014 Colorado State Fire Fighters Association Convention in Merino on Saturday. (Rachel Alexander / Fort Morgan Times)

After dealing with the bus "crash" on Saturday, the firefighters moved on to find a way to access a car that been crushed by a fifth-wheel RV.

In this case, Bundren explained, the materials used to build the RV were flimsy enough it actually "swallowed" the car underneath it.

The crew decided that rather than attempting to lift the RV, or climb through it, they would cut into the roof to gain access to the car.

"These guys are hard workers," Bundren said "It's been great. These guys, now they need to go back to their firehouse and pass on what they learned."

"This has been awesome," said Bill Eastman, of Merino. "You learn so much...the fine art of taking things apart."